Lift recommendations for 2000 TJ

[rheology1]

Looking for 3.5” to 4” lift recommendations for my 2000 TJ. Has 6 cyl with automatic transmission. Will primarily be used for beach, trail rides in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Won’t be a daily driver but needs to handle the highway so I can drive up to 8hrs away. Would like to stay in the $1000 - $1500 dollar range NOT including shocks. Plan to run 33”or 35” tires.

Thanks


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[JMT]

Gonna cost a lot to run 35’s. If you’re talking all in for 1000-1500 I don’t think there is a recommendation that’s possible. To run 33’s you’re going to need

4” springs or 2.5” springs + a 1.25” body lift
New Shocks
Front track bar
Rear track bar relocation bracket
Extended rear sway bar links
Front disconnects
Slip Yoke Eliminator and Double Cardan Driveshaft with 4” springs
Transfer case drop or Motor Mount LIft with 2.5” springs
SAvvy TCase shifter with body lift
ZJ Tie Rod Conversion or Currie Currectilync
New Tires
New Wheels

That all adds up. To go to 35’s you’ll need more

 

[rheology1]

Gonna cost a lot to run 35’s. If you’re talking all in for 1000-1500 I don’t think there is a recommendation that’s possible. To run 33’s you’re going to need

4” springs or 2.5” springs + a 1.25” body lift
New Shocks
Front track bar
Rear track bar relocation bracket
Extended rear sway bar links
Front disconnects
Slip Yoke Eliminator and Double Cardan Driveshaft with 4” springs
Transfer case drop or Motor Mount LIft with 2.5” springs
SAvvy TCase shifter with body lift
ZJ Tie Rod Conversion or Currie Currectilync
New Tires
New Wheels

That all adds up. To go to 35’s you’ll need more

The $1000-$1500 range was for just the lift kit without shocks.


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[bobthetj03]

Zone 4.25" lift. For a beach cruizer, stick with 33's.

 

[JMT]

The $1000-$1500 range was for just the lift kit without shocks.


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Currie is the best 4” spring out there + a 1” body lift to run 35’s
Metal Cloak at 3.5”
JKS Progressive at 3” + 1” body lift to run 33’s
OME is great for the 2.5” range + a 1-1.25” body lift to run 33’s

 

[TJ Hunnicutt]

Don't forget about re-gearing to handle the 33's. Well, I assume; what gear ratio are you running in your diffs now?

 

[Alex01]

The $1000-$1500 range was for just the lift kit without shocks.


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What JMT is saying is for a 4 inch lift and 35s, or even 33s for that matter, there are a lot of costs your not looking at.

His list is pretty spot on. If your looking to spend around 2k a 2.5 suspension, 1.25 body lift inch lift, and 33s would be a good target.

 

[rheology1]

Don't forget about re-gearing to handle the 33's. Well, I assume; what gear ratio are you running in your diffs now?

It has Dana 30 front and 35 rear with 3.07. I’m going to re-gear it and change out the axles front and rear. Right now I’m just looking for lift kit recommendations. My $1500 budget is strictly for a lift kit, nothing else.


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[Alex01]

I would get 4 inch currie springs, jks/currie/metal cloak front track bar. Rear track bar relocation bracket, extended rear sway bar links, and extended front brake lines. Since you will need a sye in the future I would look at adjustable control arms such as currie or metalcloak. You can probably get away with just uppers in the short term but overtime it would be best to get a complete set. If you are thinking of getting quick disconnects I would consider saving your money and buying an antirock once its in the budget.

For 1500 you can probably piece together a nice lift. When your looking for shocks the rancho rs5000x are great and really cheap.

What axles are you planning on running? My jeep also started with 30/35 with 3.07.

 

[rheology1]

I would get 4 inch currie springs, jks/currie/metal cloak front track bar. Rear track bar relocation bracket, extended rear sway bar links, and extended front brake lines. Since you will need a sye in the future I would look at adjustable control arms such as currie or metalcloak. You can probably get away with just uppers in the short term but overtime it would be best to get a complete set. If you are thinking of getting quick disconnects I would consider saving your money and buying an antirock once its in the budget.

For 1500 you can probably piece together a nice lift. When your looking for shocks the rancho rs5000x are great and really cheap.

What axles are you planning on running? My jeep also started with 30/35 with 3.07.

I honestly don’t know yet. I don’t know much of anything about jeeps. Got this for a play toy. Primarily I want it to look good, ride good and be adequate for trail rides to get off-road and access areas I couldn’t otherwise see. I live in Louisiana but I’m not big on mud riding. Will probably use it on the beach and to go up to Arkansas. It has 33s on it now with some sort of lift, maybe 2.5”. Haven’t been under it yet to get a detailed look. I’ve always been a motorcycle guy. This is my first Jeep. May even consider using it to pull my dirt bike or Harley up to Arkansas.


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[Alex01]

For your intend use this would be a great kit. https://dpgoffroad.com/product/old-man-emu-ultimate-tjlj-wrangler-kit/

If you call you may be able to get them to swap out the nitro chargers with rancho rs5000x shocks. It should drive the cost down a little bit as well.

In my opinion going 4 inch is going to open a very expensive can of worms. Down the line if you want to up it to 4" this kit would give you a solid base.

 

[ErikOffroad]

The cheapest way to get a 33 under it effectively would be the zone 4.25 lift. It’s what I got. I paid 750 bucks for it with Fox shocks. Then I added a jks front adjustable track bar for 220. I got steel wheels and procomp mt2 tires for around 1025. The picture is how it set with this setup. It works and drives well but I then I Decided to go with aftermarket control arms and upgrade the brakes. Also I am looking to regear in the future (probably this fall). I definitely lost power and braking performance when going to the larger tires. U start out thinking that you will only spend so much money but then u keep wanting more stuff. It just keeps getting more expensive.

I would also like to say that my garage door is 7 foot and if I went any taller and tryed to put 35’s on it it would be too tall to fit through the door.

 

[Alex01]

I would also like to say that my garage door is 7 foot and if I went any taller and tried to put 35’s on it it would be too tall to fit through the door.

I feared this after installing my body lift in the garage. Lucky I was able to drive out.

Did you need to add an SYE?

 

[JMT]

@rheology1, as I read your intended uses, I can't see why you would want to go over 32" tire size and a 2.5" OME kit like the one @Alex01 linked you to with DPG Offroad. You're going to be able to go a ton of places with a setup like that. It also looks very good on 32's. It's just about perfect and there are many people on this forum who wish they never went over 31's!

Before doing anything, you might just take your rig out and see what it can do offroad and on some beaches. It's good to get to know your rig and its capability. You'll still probably want something for looks, but they are very capable right out of the box. Then you will have a much better idea what you want to do with it.

 

[ErikOffroad]

Nope

I feared this after installing my body lift in the garage. Lucky I was able to drive out.

Did you need to add an SYE?

Not with this kit. It uses a motor mount lift to increase the angle of the output shaft on the transfer case to eliminate rear drive shaft vibrations.

 

[bobthetj03]

Hard to go wrong with OME stuff. Top tier products. If you're looking to buy a "kit" so to speak, BDS, JKS, and Zone Offroad make fairly complete kits as well.

http://bds-suspension.com/kit-customizer?kid=418H
https://jksmfg.com/i-24048344-jspec...02-jeep-wrangler-tj.html?ref=category:1164715
I prefer to piece together components to get where you want to end up. Rancho makes a partial lift

https://www.quadratec.com/p/rancho/25-inch-sport-lift-kit-97-06-jeep-wrangler-tj-unlimited
add a 1.25" body lift/MML, some Rancho RS5000X shocks, a JKS front track bar, quick discos, extended rear sway bar links, and some hockey pucks for extended bump stops. The DDB control arms are intriguing.

 

[rheology1]

Thanks for all the input


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[JMT]

The DDB control arms are intriguing.

At $275 a pair they’re as expensive as Savvy or Currie arms. Is there a cheaper way? Also, is it the no maintenance and self centering design that intrigues you? Isn’t it David Kishpaugh that uses these bushings?

 

[bobthetj03]

At $275 a pair they’re as expensive as Savvy or Currie arms. Is there a cheaper way? Also, is it the no maintenance and self centering design that intrigues you? Isn’t it David Kishpaugh that uses these bushings?

Do you really want to skimp at a arm design to save money? There are places where you can skimp a little, and places you shouldn't IMO. A JJ can literally last beyond the life of the jeep if maintained properly. I just don't like the greasy mess. I could care less about the self centering part. I expect a joint to last at least as long as a factory Clevite should last.

 

[JMT]

Do you really want to skimp at a arm design to save money? There are places where you can skimp a little, and places you shouldn't IMO. A JJ can literally last beyond the life of the jeep if maintained properly. I just don't like the greasy mess. I could care less about the self centering part. I expect a joint to last at least as long as a factory Clevite should last.

What I mean is, is it any cheaper to simply buy the DDB ends and custom build the shafts? When the time comes, I’ll probably just do the rears at 3” of lift.